Ultimately, Timbalero and bandleader Oscar de Leon prevailed in the fight for who could use the Los Mozambiques name going forward. In 1974 he signed with the Tamayo label, which had previously focused on pressing 45s of Música Típica. Founded by Colombian-born music impresario Rodrigo Escobar Tamayo – himself a talented composer and guitar player/singer of traditional Décimas – Tamayo records moved aggressively into the popular dance sound of the Combos Nacionales while smaller competitors such as Sally Ruth, Loyola foundered.
Tamayo was soon to release its first LP, Monumental Tamayo Vol. 1, a compilation of well known combos such as Bocas del Toro’s Los Beachers (who had a number of LPs under their belt already on the Loyola label), Oscar de Leon’s Los Mozambiques, and newer but up-and-coming combos like Combo Impacto, Los Arco Iris, Los Excelentes and La Ofensiva. Tamayo would go on to be the dominant label of the combos explosion of the mid to late 1970s.
Oscar de Leon got singers Trini Paye (who appears on the Monumental LP), Wilfredo Ingram and Carlos “El Grande” from Los Excelentes to record with Los Mozambiques. The band would remain guitar-led and musicians credited on the Noche de Cumbia LP released in 1975 on Tamayo include: Lorenzo Campbell and Alberto Dudley on Guitars, Leonardo Phlatts on bass, Olmedo Adames and Roberto Timaná on bongo and tumbadora respectively, Ruben Rodriguez on Sax, Joaquin Paredes on Trumpet, and Fran Olmedo Weber on Trombone.
The new horn section certainly sounded great on the Tamayo 45 “Noches de Amor”, with vocal by Paye:
As noted above, Carlos Martinez returned to record on the Noche de Cumbia LP, which included huge hits in “Los Barcos en La Bahia” and “El Niño y El Perro.” He also recorded a hot salsa 45 that would be a staple on Panamanian radio in “Conchita Ven” on the Mozambiques/Tamayo label:
In 1976-77 the younger brother of well known Panamanian bolero singer (and occasional montunero) Socrates Lazo joined Los Mozambiques, recording a nice guitar-led salsa tune in “El Criticón” that made some noise on Panamanian radio. The singer was Gabino Pampini (Armando Lasso), and he was destined for international fame:
Pampini’s vocal style is probably the greatest expression of the Panamanian salsa swing, full of playful improvisation and sabor. His biggest hit while still in Panama was the beautiful “La Luna y El Toro”, which he recorded with El Combo Impacto in the same time period. A cover of a Flamenco-based hit for the Spanish child singer Joselito, “La Luna y El Toro” was a big hit in Colombia and Perú, and audiences still ask for it at his concerts:
Pampini would record with Los Mozambiques again in 1977-78, including an excellent LP (Mozambiques – Pampini) that shows him and Oscar de Leon on the cover:
The LP features arrangements by the ever-salsoso Alexis “El Profe” Castillo and features the signature Mozambiques guitar-led sound (Lorenzo Campbell on guitar) on excellent tunes such as “Canto Para No Llorar”:
Oscar de Leon’s Mozambiques continued to have success in the late ’70s and into the early ’80s with singers Beny Romero and Arcadio Molinar, before the DJ sound systems killed the combos as a distinct movement.